The fights co-headlined "Adrenaline IV: Sylvia vs. Riley," which took place in front of an estimated crowd of 2,000 at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The night's main card aired live on HDNet.

Although looking in questionable shape at a less-than-svelte 287 pounds, Sylvia had little trouble with his opponent. The former UFC heavyweight champion, fighting for the first time since his embarrassing nine-second knockout loss to 48-year-old boxer Ray Mercer in June, continually battered Riley with one-two combinations and quick strikes from the clinch.

Sylvia finally ended it when he clipped Riley with a left hand that sent the Ohio-based fighter crashing to the mat. The referee called a halt to the bout at 2:32 of the first round.

The victory was Sylvia's first in nearly two years; following a unanimous-decision win over Brandon Vera at UFC 77 in October 2007, the former worldwide top-10 heavyweight suffered three consecutive losses, all via stoppage.

Meanwhile, Alexander, a Nebraskan who received arguably the night's biggest ovation, fed off the crowd's energy and instantly went to work on his opponent's legs. A quick succession of low kicks wobbled Pendergarst, and Alexander rushed in to deliver a series of knees to the body once he sensed the damage.

Pendergarst ultimately crashed to the mat and covered up to protect himself. Alexander, who moved up to heavyweight for the fight, briefly followed with punches before the referee called a stop to the lopsided affair at 1:51 of the first round.

As MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) reported after Alexander's booking for the Adrenaline event, the popular fighter remains under contract to the UFC. However, with three consecutive losses since he splashed onto the UFC scene with violent knockouts of Keith Jardine and Alessio Sakara, Alexander needed a victory, something that's eluded him for the past two years.

Pendergarst, meanwhile, continues his oh-so-brutal skid. "The Tank" earned a shot in the UFC after launching his career with an 8-3 record. However, since his loss to Antoni Hardonk at UFC 65, Pendergarst has floundered with five straight losses and 11 defeats in his past 14 fights.

Also picking up victories on the night's undercard were two UFC vets. Forrest Petz (15-7), just 2-6 since a win over Sammy Morgan in his August 2006 octagon debut, topped fellow ex-UFC fighter Chad Reiner (21-9) in a lopsided bout. Petz did damage with early blows, and a winded Reiner never recovered. A big right hand put Reiner on the mat and forced a TKO stoppage at 2:28 of the first round.

Joe Vedepo (8-3), meanwhile, moved to 8-1 in non-UFC bouts with a swift and stunning 14-second knockout of Webster Farris (2-1). The Iowa-based fighter, who competed for the first time since a 0-2 stint in the UFC, connected on a right hand that instantly knocked Farris out cold and left him struggling to regain consciousness.

(HW) Tim Sylvia vs. Jason Riley
Riley said he’s going to put Tim back in a wheelchair - just like he was after the Ray Mercer fight. Tim said if he can’t beat this guy he should just hang it up. Strong words Tim. Riley said he would have fought Sylvia for free. Riley said he wants to put an end to Sylvia’s career, has no respect for him. Riley said Sylvia is not nice to the fans. He said he met Tim a few years ago and he was a d*ck. Tim is on a three fight losing streak. This is a must win. Riley is 6-1 coming into the fight. Tim is weighing in at 287 lbs. His chest is unshaven and he looks almost like the photo above.
Round 1 - Riley lands a right hand to the jaw. Elbow by riley. Tim lands a shot. They clinch up. Riley puts him against the cage. Knee to the body by Tim. Shots to the body from the clinch by Tim. They break upu and move back to the center. Tim is throwing that jab out there. Riley throws a big overhand right that misses. Riley wants that KO. Tim is doing a better job boxing. Leg kick by Riley. Nice left hook by Tim drops Riley to the mat, Tim follows him down and finishes him off with a number of right hand hammerfists. Tim picked him apart. Tim still hits hard. Mezger said Riley bit off more than he could chew. Sylvia landed 87% of his strikes. OFFICIAL RESULT: Tim Sylvia defeats Jason Riley by TKO (strikes) Round 1 (2:32). Sylvia said he’s back, he’s done with boxing, and will be focusing on MMA. His next fight may be in Japan. He thanked Bas Rutten and Mark Delagrotte for helping him train for the fight.

"The fights co-headlined "Adrenaline IV: Sylvia vs. Riley," which took place in front of an estimated crowd of 2,000 at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The night's main card aired live on HDNet."